"Whoo-hoo!"
After chatting for a while, Goku took Pan to the grass field in front of his house, his familiar carefree grin plastered on his face.
"Pan, have you been practicing well while I've been away?" Goku asked, his tone light but expectant.
"Of course! Grandpa Piccolo often guides me in my training!" Pan replied enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with pride.
"And your father? Has Gohan been helping you out too?" Goku inquired, though he had a hunch about the answer.
Pan's expression shifted, and her enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "Dad's been so busy working all day long!" she said with a pout, her tone tinged with dissatisfaction.
Goku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Looks like it's time to have a little chat with Gohan," he muttered, more to himself than to Pan.
Just as the words left his mouth, a bright light suddenly engulfed his body. Before Goku could react, an overwhelming force teleported him away.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing on a massive, glowing gear that seemed to hum with ancient energy. He glanced around and spotted familiar faces: Goten, Gohan (still dressed in his business suit), Vegeta, Trunks, Jiren, and Hit—all standing on the same gear with him.
Gohan adjusted his tie, clearly flustered by the abrupt change in scenery. "Goten, where are we?" he asked, turning to his younger brother.
"I don't know," Goten replied, his eyes fixed ahead.
In front of them stood a petite woman with blue-green skin and short sea-blue hair. She wore a flowing blue robe, golden earrings, and a clock-shaped hat that seemed to signify her authority. Her high-heeled boots clicked faintly as she stepped forward, her regal presence unmistakable.
This was Aeos, the former Supreme Kai of Time. Though she was eons old, her youthful appearance radiated both wisdom and power.
Behind her, countless gigantic gears turned slowly, each one shimmering with the aura of untold histories. On the gears stood numerous figures, some of whom were all too familiar: Frieza, Cooler, Cell, Hirudegarn, Kid Buu, and the Time Patrol.
Suddenly, a small figure appeared beside Aeos, wearing a similar blue robe and golden hat. His face was obscured, but his voice carried an eerie authority.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Super Timeline Knockout Tournament!" the figure announced, raising his arms dramatically.
With a wave of his hand, he conjured a glowing, light-blue box. "You have all been chosen by the timelines as exceptional warriors. This box has selected you as champions of your respective eras!"
As he spoke, the massive gears began to shift, aligning to form a colossal stage.
"The rules are simple," the figure continued. "This is a survival battle across timelines! There are 12 groups, each with seven participants—a total of 84 warriors. Your first task is to capture one of the three flying goblin prophets on the battlefield or eliminate all other teams to secure victory!"
The crowd murmured with mixed reactions, but the figure pressed on. "You have 50 taks—approximately 24 minutes—to complete this round. The winners will receive unparalleled rewards, so fight with all your strength! Let the tournament begin!"
With that, a blinding white light enveloped the participants.
When Goten opened his eyes again, he found himself in the middle of a dense jungle. Towering trees loomed overhead, their branches weaving a canopy that barely let sunlight through.
"Did everyone get separated?" Goten muttered, closing his eyes to sense the ki of his teammates. He quickly located Goku and the others, though they seemed scattered across the battlefield.
Before he could make his way to them, a familiar energy signature approached. Goten turned to see Haze, an opponent he had previously defeated, stepping out from the shadows. However, this version of Haze had a glowing halo above his head, indicating he was already dead.
"We meet again, Goten," Haze said with a smirk.
"Yeah, we do," Goten replied, a confident grin spreading across his face. "But the result will be the same—you're going down!"
Without another word, Haze lunged at Goten. Goten clenched his fists and transformed into Super Saiyan 4, his golden aura igniting the jungle around him as the two charged at each other.
Meanwhile, Trunks found himself on a rocky plateau. He wasn't alone—standing before him was Tapion, the heroic figure from the Dragon Ball movie Wrath of the Dragon.
"Trunks," Tapion said, his voice calm yet firm.
"Do you know me?" Trunks asked, taking a cautious step forward.
Tapion nodded solemnly. "Not you, exactly. It seems you're not the Trunks from my timeline."
Realizing the misunderstanding, Trunks adjusted his stance. "Then let's settle this like warriors."
Tapion unsheathed the sword from his back, its blade gleaming under the dim light. "As you wish," he said, raising the weapon.
The two rushed at each other, their movements swift and precise. Trunks dodged Tapion's initial strike, countering with a flurry of punches. Tapion skillfully deflected each blow, his swordsmanship as sharp as ever.
With a roar, Trunks transformed into a Super Saiyan, his golden aura flaring around him. Tapion's eyes widened momentarily, but he tightened his grip on his sword, ready to face the challenge head-on.
Elsewhere, Goku came face-to-face with another version of himself—Xeno Goku from the Time Patrol.
"Are you me from another timeline?" Goku asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
"That's right," Xeno Goku replied with a grin. "It's not every day you meet yourself, huh?"
"Well, since we're here, how about a quick sparring match?" Goku suggested eagerly.
"I'd love to," Xeno Goku began, but his expression turned serious. "Unfortunately, we have bigger problems. Aeos, the organizer of this tournament, has plans that could disrupt all of time and space. She's..."
Before Xeno Goku could finish, several golden energy blasts rained down on them. Both Gokus leapt into the air, dodging the attacks effortlessly. When they looked down, they saw a group of warriors charging at them, their intent clear.
Jiren faced a formidable opponent—Broly, but not the one from Dragon Ball Super. This was the original Broly, the legendary Super Saiyan from an alternate timeline.
The old Broly, shirtless and with wild green hair, exuded a dark and menacing energy. His fists glowed with raw power as he charged at Jiren.
"Ha!" Broly roared, swinging a massive punch.